168 HANDS, VOICE, WHIP AND SPUR. 



nervousness that she would not let me take the trophy 

 until I patted and spoke to her, and the presentation 

 was then effected without a scene. This animal, which 

 was a well-bred Australian, was a stranger to me, and 

 had never carried a lady before that day. Neverthe- 

 less, she passed successfully through a terribly trying 

 ordeal, and I am certain that she would not have made 

 the great efforts she did in jumping, if I had not 

 soothed and encouraged her with my voice. She was 

 only 14-2 in height, and was competing against big 

 horses, some of which were ridden by steeplechase 

 jockeys. The competition took place at night in a circus 

 which was lighted by electricity, and which was open at 

 each end. The object to be jumped was a white gate 

 placed midway across the arena, and raised each time 

 that it had been successfully cleared. From the 

 glare of electric light in this crowded place, we had to 

 go into outer darkness and carefully avoid the tent 

 pegs and ropes in finding our way to the other 

 entrance. While we were waiting our turn to jump, 

 we had to stand near a cage of lions which growled 

 savagely during the whole time, and also in the vicinity 

 of two camels. My mount disliked the camels far 

 more than the lions; in fact, she hated the sight of 

 them, and would have done her best to escape, if I 

 had not turned her head away from them and patted 

 and soothed her. Mr. Frank Fillis, who was the 

 proprietor of the circus, told me that horses have such 

 an antipathy to camels that they will not drink, however 

 thirsty they may be, from a bucket which has been used 



